Speedometer.



J. H. BULLARD.

SPEBDOMETEB.

APPLICATION IILIID JAN. 1a, 1908.

Patented June 22, 1909.

JAMES H. BULLARI), OF SPRlNGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

SPEEDOll/IETER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 22, 1909.

Application filed January 18, 1908. Serial No. 411,412.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAuns H. BULLARD, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Springfield, in the county of llampden and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Speedometers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to speedometers of the centrifugaily actuated type of that class whereby the circumferential speed of a rotating element is indicated on a suitably graduated dial by apointcr movable over the same by the speedometer mechanism; and to more clearly define the invention it may be stated that it is of that type in which the centrifugal action of the rotating elements of the mechanism results in a constant change of the plane of rotation of those parts of the device which actuate the indicating pointer, said change taking place according as the speed of rotation increases or diminishes. This characteristic distinguishes this type from that in which. the indicating pointer is -JactUated by the separation of the parts rotat- Zing always in the same plane.

The object of the invention is to provide a mechanism of the character described whereby under varying speeds of rotation the movement of the pointer over the scale will always bear the same ratio'to the speed of rotation of the parts which actuate it whether that speed be low or high.

The invention is fully illustrated in the accoim'ianying drawings in which Figure l is a plan view of the face of a speedometer embod dng the invention, certain parts being shown in dotted lines. Fig. 2 is a sectional view longitudinally of the axis of rotation of the parts, the plane of the section being taken on line .2 2, Fig. 1. Fig. is a perspective view of the centrifugally actuated weighted arms of the device, and the support therel'or on which the arms fulcrum. Figs. 4 and 5 are sectional views in the same plane as Fig. 2, showing a modified construction of parts of the rotating weighted arms and the support therefor, thesefi lurcs showing the same parts in different positions. l ig'. i3 is perspective view of certain parts of the mechanism actuated by the centrifugal act-ion of the weighted rotating arms to move the indicating pointer.

Referring now to'thesc drawings, a indicates the case of the instrument which is in the form of a shallow cup'opcn at one side and having an axially located huh I) on the closed side thereof. Near the edge of the open side of the case a bond 0 is turned up on the inside thereof to support a dialplate 1/ which is held in position by means of a ring e held securely against the edge of the plate by a screw-cap comprisinp themetal ringf and a glass face g.

On the under side of the dial plate d is secured a metal bri dgaplatc h, (shown in Fig. 3 in perspective and in section in Figs. 2, 4,

and 5) which has struck up therefrom 'or ailixed thereto the hub ll; which, when the late is in )osition, will be located axially in inc with the axis of the hub b on the case; and in this hub is is a ball at which may play freely therein and is hold in the hub by spinning over the open end of the latter to contract it slightly.

When the bridge-plate h is in position on the under side of the dial-plate (1, space is provided between the two for the slidable arm. 0 having a tongue p, preferably struck up therefrom, and of such dimension as to lie within the hub 7t at an angle of about degrees, the side of the hub it having a vertically disposed opening (1 therein to permit this tongue to move through it when, by pressure applied on the ball in, the latter is forced against the inclined tongue 1) to impart endwise movement to the slidable mem ber 0, such movement of the ball or being, effected by the endwise movement of the axially located spindle r in a manner to be described.

At the proper point on the dial plate (I a depression 3 is struck up therein from the under side thereof to receive the hub t of the indicating winter 1;; and, as shown in Fig. 4, eccentrically of this hub is a pin '10 with which the end of the sliding member 0 engages, whereby endwise*movcmentof the slide toward and from the hub Z will impart a swinging; movement to the indicating pointer over the face of the dial. The pin to is made long enough so that its free end will extend beyond the bridge-plate h, and to the upper end of this pin a spring,- :r is attached whose opposite end is secured to another pin on the bridge-plate, the spring being normally under slight tension to the end that the tongue p on the arm 0 may always press the ball in toward or against the end of the spindle 1'; and this pressure being in a direction contrary to the direction of movement. of the spindle when it actuatcs the pointer, all postion.

sibility of play of the pointer is therefore eliminated when the instrument is in opera- If desired, another spring as may be secured to the support 5, its end being forked to bear on the 'yo e 8, as shown, this spring being adjustable by means of the screws 1 v ich secure it. to'said support 5. p

The construction of the devices whereby movement is nnparted to the indicating pointer is as follows: In the huh I) of the casing is screwed a sleeve 3, each end of .whieh is inwardly beveled, as shown in Fig.

and within this sleeve is a hollow hub 4 to the inner end of which is secured the disk 5 (shown in perspective in Fig. 3) which constitutes a support for the arms 6. These arms. as shown in Fig. 1, have their innerends bent substantially at right angles thereto, as at 7, and extend through holes provided therefor in opposite sides of a yoke 8 fitted loosely over the inner end 01 the spin- .dle 7', the latter having a collar or flange 9 thereon to support it in the yoke. The arms 6 thus'have a pivotal connection with the 'to the yoke maybe employed.

yoke which permits them to swing in a vided to lock the weights in the desired adjusted position thereon. 'Thus,these arms are practically elb.ow-levers,one arm of whic 1 in their assembled position is at right angles to the plane of rotation thereof. V

The arms 6 between the weighted ends thereof and the'point of their pivotal connection with the yoke 8 are curved, as shown, whereby each arm may bear on the disk or support-'5 at points equi-distant from the axis of said support. Any suitable means may be employed to effect the rotation of the arms 6 with their support 5, as for example the pins 13 may "be driven into the disk, as shown in Fig. '3. These pins are not .abso lutely essential to the proper operation of the device, as the frictional con-tact'alone of the arms with their support will be sufficient to rotate the former, although the use of the pins insuresthe quicker starting of the arms. When the dlsk-or support 5 and the weighted .armsthereon are rotated, the weigh s 10 be- Y ingsu portedone side of the plane of rota-E 6.0 tion-o the mam portion of the arms, (that is on'that end of the arms 6 which stands at right angles-to the plane of rotation thereof,)

the centrifugal forceto which these weights will be subjected willtend to force the inner ends of the arms and the yoke 8 to which they are pivotally connected outwardly in ine with the axis of rotation, and thus impart endwise movement to .the spindle 1, the fulcrum point of the arms 6 being the pomt of contact of the curved portion thereof with the support 5. Thus the movement of the weights 10 will be always in a direction which will tend to locate them in such position that the line of force, due to'the centril'ug'al action, will become parallel with the fore, at the beginning the effect of this move-' ment of the weights will move the spindle 1' to a greater degree than when, owing to the increased speed of rotation, the weights are further separated. To compensate for this constantly decreasing endwise movement of the spindle r, the arms 6 are given such eurvature relative to their support that the fulcrum point, under increasing speeds of rotation, will be shifted constantly further away i from the axis of rotation and the leverage of that part of the arm that is attached to the yolxt fi' be thus lengthened. In this manner uniformity of movement of the indicating pointer '42 may be attained which will permit the uniform graduation of the indicating scale'14 on the dial-plate d, as the, lengthening of the leverage of the arms 6 referred to will increase in proportion as the movement of the Weights away from their axis of rotation decreases.

An obvious modification of this construction, whereby the sameends may be obtained, is shown in Figs. 4 and 5, these figures showing the same parts in difierent positions, in section. This modification consists in making that part of the arms 6which is attached to the yoke 8, straight and m providing the support 5 with a curved surface 15 whereby, during the rotatioirof the parts the fulcrum point of the arm on said curved surface will shift in proportion as the weighted ends 10 separate and the leverage will be mcreased under an increasing speed of rota-.

tion. To provide for the easy rotation of the disk or support '5, the hub 4 thereof is provided with ball bearings 16 of which there are two rows one at either end of the sleeve 3.

the im'rardly tapering ends of this sleeve eonbe in the shape of a disk, as shown, or

whether it be in. the form of a bar extending under-the arms 6. n

'hat I claim is c 1. A speedon'reter comprising a rotatable support, a vertically movable spindle located axially of said SUPPOI't, and a joke on the spindle; arms pivotally attached to the yoke in eounterbalaneinn relation and having weights supported thereon, the greater portion of which weights is outside the plane of rotation of said arms, said support eonstituting afulerum for the arms at the point of contact ol' the latter on said support, the rentril ugal aetion of the weighted ends ol the arms serving to elfeet the shifting of said l'ulerum point on the support.

2. A speedometer comprising a rotatable support having a plane surl'are, a vertically movable spindle located axially of said supl port, and a yoke on the spindle; arms pivotallr attached to the yoke in counterbalancingrelation and having weights supported thereon, the greater portion of which weights is outside the plane of rotation of said arms, the arms being curved and hearing at one point on said support,the latter constituting a l'ulerum for the arms at the point of contact ol' the latter on said support, the centrifugal action of the weighted ends of the arms serving to effect the shifting of said fulerum on the support.

JAMES H. BULLARD.

Witnesses:

Wm. H. CIIAPIN, H. W. BowEN. 

